1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to data storage libraries that house a plurality of data storage media such as optical discs, movable solid state storage devices and magnetic tape cartridges. Such libraries include drives for reading data from the media or writing data onto the media and further include a so-called robot adapted to move the media between their storage locations and the data storage transfer device (drive). The present invention generally relates to systems for and methods of creating a visual display associated with a robot within a data storage library.
2. Description of Related Art
Robots in data storage libraries typically move along rails or tracks disposed on a floor of the library. The robotic movement is controlled via communication with a microprocessor that commands the robot to move along the rails or tracks to a particular location adjacent to either to a storage cell in which a disc or cartridge is located or to a drive for reading or writing data from or onto, respectively, the disc or cartridge.
An outside observer of the library will not know where the robot is located, nor the condition or status of the robot. Conventionally the observer may utilize a host computer with an operator interface to gain knowledge of the position and status, however, this requires that the observer have access, usually through a password-protected interface, to the host computer and involves delay or conflict in utilizing the host computer for such purpose, rather than for its primary purpose of giving writing or reading commands for different media. Also, one may view the robot by opening a door in the housing of the library, however, the door is conventionally under a password-protected lock, and opening the door halts library operations due to safety and other concerns.
In Applicant's prior art system of creating a lighting display associated with the position and status of the robot, one or more multicolor LEDs were mounted on the robot and emitted different-colored light associated with a robot condition displayed on the side of the library. For example, the LEDs emitted green light when the robot was stationary and ready for a task, blue light when moving, orange light when picking a media from storage or from a drive, and red light when there was a problem such as when the robot dropped a media. In the earlier version, the light from the LEDs was directed to a horizontally extending “light pipe” in the form of a bar fashioned of transparent material that received and internally reflected the light and transmitted the light toward a longitudinal end thereof provided with a diffusing surface that essentially confines the light to that diffusing surface viewable horizontally on the library by an observer. The light is displayed from the longitudinal end of the bar toward an upper horizontal side of the library housing. A series of such bars were arranged side-by-side so that as the robot travelled, the light from the LEDs would be sequentially received by and transmitted through bars. An observer or operator outside of the library housing could then determine the status and location of the robot within the housing by seeing the light displayed on the bar on the upper side of the library housing. The light also provided some amusement or entertainment attraction in addition to providing information about the robot position and status.
The prior art system required the installation and utilization of many light pipes or bars and offered visual information about the position and status of the robot from only the side of the library housing from which the light is displayed via the light pipes. Also, the prior art system could not be employed with robots operating in the deep interior of a library. With this background the present invention was developed.